Flora's Wish (40 page)

“Don't blame me for your distraction. I'm the one trying to help.”

“Then stop helping,” he demanded. “And just do what I tell you. Which includes, as I've told you, not going anywhere without my prior approval or—”

“Or you'll have me thrown in jail.” Flora shook her head. “That's a tired old song you're playing, Mr. McMinn. I think I've heard it one too many times. I don't believe it anymore.”

“You don't?” He nodded only once, his expression grim and yet thoughtful. “Well, all right.”

The lawman slapped the reins and urged the buggy back into motion. At the bend in the road he turned right instead of left, something that Flora instantly questioned. Of course, the man refused to answer.

Oh, surely not.
She tried to bluff her way to sounding brave. “Suit yourself, but when you find out you're lost, let me know and I'll help you get back to Brimmfield.”

Again he remained silent. Flora sat back, her expression pensive. At least she'd managed to change the topic and redirect his ire if not the carriage.

Or she thought she had. Until the lights of Natchez came into view.

“Believe me now?” she asked. “Just turn around up here and I'll show you where you made the mistake.”

“No, Flora. You're the one who has made the mistake.”

Though he said nothing more, Flora was now certain where he was headed. Her pride, however, kept her mute. Even as he pulled the buggy to a halt in front of the city jail, she remained silent.

Lucas walked around to reach for her, but she saved him the trouble and exited the buggy herself. She also walked up to the sheriff's office of her own accord with Lucas following close behind.

A deputy she recognized but did not know personally rose when she stepped into the office. “Evening, Miss Brimm,” he said. “How can we be of service?”

“I need to speak to Sheriff Lambert please,” Flora said as she adjusted the doily protecting her modesty.

“No,” Lucas said. “I'm the one in need of speaking to the sheriff.”

The deputy shifted his attention from Flora to Lucas and then back to Flora. “The sheriff isn't here. I believe he's at the cotton exchange event tonight with your daddy, Miss Flora.”

“Oh, of course,” Flora said, though she doubted her father had returned to Natchez so soon.

“Are you the man in charge?” Lucas asked.

“I am.” The deputy rose from behind the desk and walked around to shake hands with Lucas. “Are you Miss Brimm's new fella? Talk around here is that she'd already up and married, but the boss says no, that she's just got her cap set for someone and the wedding hasn't happened yet.”

Flora gave Lucas an I-told-you-so look he ignored. “No, I'm a Pinkerton agent who has personal custody of Miss Brimm. And tonight she violated the terms of that custody. I'm prepared to write up a full report for the sheriff.”

The deputy stood openmouthed for what felt like a full minute. “He's telling the truth,” Flora supplied, “though he left out the part where I was just doing a little digging to help him solve his case.”

Again the deputy shifted his stare from her to Lucas. “Let me get this straight. You want me to throw Flora Brimm in jail?”

Lucas drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. “Yes. If you'll just confirm, she has a warrant on her out of Arkansas signed by the Eureka Springs sheriff.”

A trickle of perspiration slid down the man's forehead as he tugged at his collar. “For what?”

“Receipt of stolen property.” Lucas paused. “That's a felony in Arkansas.”

“It's a felony in Mississippi too, but I can't imagine this gal would willingly accept stolen property.” He looked over at Flora. “Would you, Miss Brimm?”

“No,” Flora said in her most angelic voice. “Of course not.” She paused. “In fact, the item he claims I stole is in his possession. Technically,
he
took it from me.”

“Confiscated.” Lucas gestured to his pocket. “My name is Lucas McMinn, and I have a badge in my coat. Would you like to see it?”

“I would.” The deputy watched closely as Lucas pulled out his badge and thrust it toward him. After a minute, he turned it over and then nodded. “Looks real enough. What can I do for you, Pink?”

“You can put this woman in jail,” he said evenly. “As I said, she has violated the terms of our custody arrangement. Therefore, I am revoking her release and committing her to jail, where she will be safe.”

“Is she in danger?”

“Only from herself,” Lucas snapped as he replaced the badge in his pocket.

“And you have her property?” the deputy asked.

“The property has been confiscated as part of the investigation. It will be returned to her if and when it is determined to be hers.” He shook his head. “The watch is in no danger of being lost.”

“I don't recall getting a receipt for that,” Flora said.

Lucas silenced her with a look and returned his attention to the deputy. “If you'll just show me where to sign, I will leave the prisoner in your capable hands.”

“I don't believe so, sir.” The deputy snuck a quick glance at Flora before addressing Lucas again. “I can't lock up Miss Brimm. Her grandpa, he was something around here. So's her daddy. And her grandmother… well, she'd have my hide for sure. Even ol' General Grant didn't mess with Mrs. Millie.”

Flora suppressed a smile.

“Deputy, I'm sure you'll hear from the Brimm family, but the law is the law, and I'm turning custody of Miss Brimm over to you.”

“No, sir. You are not.”

A dull red began to climb up Lucas's neck, and for a moment he appeared unable to respond. Then he began in a deadly tone. “Are you saying that because you know this woman and her family, you are ignoring the warrant issued for her arrest in Eureka Springs and are refusing to accept the prisoner I have brought in tonight?”

“Yes, sir. That's exactly what I'm saying.”

Lucas looked about ready to take the fellow to task. “And there's nothing I can do to get this woman put in jail, where she belongs?”

“Of course there is. You can take her back to Eureka Springs, where that warrant of yours is good.”

“Sir, you are aware of the fact that Mississippi and Arkansas are both part of the United States of America, and as such recognize and cooperate with the laws of each state?”

“That's a pretty speech, Pink, but the fact remains that I'm not going to hold Miss Brimm on an out-of-state warrant when she and her family have been outstanding members of this city's citizenry since well before the war.”

Lucas shook his head. “All right, I'm going to try this again. There is an active Pinkerton case in which this woman's warrant has been recognized as valid and material. I can get you whatever information you'd like on that case to have the sheriff swear out a warrant. How's that?”

“That would probably work, but first you'd have to get the Pinkertons to verify and then get the final answer on it from the sheriff once all the paperwork has been handled.”

“I see. So what you're saying is I'm stuck with Flora Brimm—at least for now.”

The deputy grinned at Flora. She, of course, returned his smile. “Yes, sir,” he said as he looked again at Lucas. “She's all yours.”

“Wonderful,” he muttered as he gave Flora a look that would wither cotton. “Let's go.”

She followed a step behind and allowed him to help her into the buggy. Without a word, he climbed up beside her and pointed the horse toward home.

They rode in silence, as much because Flora no longer cared to invoke Lucas's ire as to allow her a time of quiet reflection under the stars.

“Lucas,” she finally said. “Are you talking to me yet?”

“No.”

She giggled. “You just did.”

Apparently the man had lost any sense of humor he might have once possessed. Flora giggled again anyway because it was truly funny. All of it was.

At the entrance to Brimmfield, she fully expected him to make her walk the rest of the way, but instead he drove right up to the front of the house almost at breakneck pace. When the carriage halted, an efficient houseboy had her feet on the ground before Lucas could climb out.

Just as well, for she intended to seek the solace of her room and a long visit with the Lord rather than spend any further time with the angry lawman. Worse, she couldn't possibly see Father or Grandmama wearing this horrid ensemble—that is, if Father truly had returned.

The front doors opened as they always did by the time Flora reached the first of the fourteen marble steps leading to the entrance, thanks to a pair of Brimm footmen who both bowed as she walked past. One of the maids hurried in her direction to retrieve her hat and coat.

“Might I draw you a bath, ma'am?” she asked, nothing in her expression giving away what must be surprise at her odd choice of outfit.

“Yes, please, and make it extra hot. And ask Lucy to give you some of those lovely lilac bath salts Father brought back from Paris, please,” she said to the retreating maid's back. “I believe she put them in the trunk with my perfumes before we left Eureka Springs.”

“Hold off on drawing that bath,” Lucas called.

Flora spun around to see that he had not only followed her inside, but he seemed intent on continuing their conversation. “You there,” he called to the maid. “Is this woman's father at home?”

“He's just back, sir,” the maid answered. “You'll find him in the library.”

Flora's heart lurched. And to think she had decided the evening couldn't possibly get any worse. If Lucas spoke to her father in this mood, the end really would come for her plans.

Of all the men in her life, only Lucas McMinn was less reasonable than Father. And even then, the race was close. And if Grandmama got wind of any conversation that might prove interesting, sparks really would fly.

She had to do something. Quick.

“Oh, no,” she said to the maid. “This man may be a guest, but he is not going to see Father.”

Then she turned to Lucas. That same lock of hair had fallen into his eyes but, from the look of him, he was too irritated to care.

This did not bode well.

“Lucas, you are
not
going to speak to my father. Not tonight. He is…” She tried to think of a reasonable argument. “He's indisposed. Yes, that's right. You can't see him now because he only just returned from Memphis. I haven't even seen him yet. Don't think of ruining our reunion.”

Slowly he reached up to swipe the lock of hair into place. His gaze met hers but only briefly before he turned to look in the direction of the maid. “Where is the library?”

“Top of the stairs, first door on the right,” she said, eyes downcast. “Shall I show you, sir?”

“No, thank you. I think I can find it.” He returned his attention to Flora. “And you, Miss Brimm, are coming with me.”